Get Out of My Garbage!

“Under the program, nine full-time solid waste inspectors as well as contracted waste haulers tagged trash cans with more than 10 percent compostable material, providing those residents with educational material on how to improve. Residents also were told that breaking the rules would come with a $1 fine for single-family homes and $50 fine for businesses or multi-family units.”

Conformity. Is it the government’s job to force conformity?

It’s so easy to see what’s happening. The growth of government is continually pushing its boundaries, continually growing and expanding at a happy radical rate because … just because. That’s what governments do. They grow. And as they grow, the privacy rights of citizens shrink.

Call me old fashioned but I thought it was the government’s role to insure order and peace so that the citizens can individually pursue their own real of happiness without the government sticking its nose in everyone of our concerns.

Poking around in a person’s trash is beyond violating. But what else is happening? Who’s poking around in our trash bins on our computers? Who’s videotaping every movement we make in the mall, in the park, in the … insert place here.

What is needed are politicians who will protect the privacy rights of citizens. What Seattle has are a bunch of politicians who side with conformity over the privacy rights of citizens. I’m almost surprised that a judge was found who would throw out this silly ordinance. That’s somewhat reassuring.

But rules like this are only going to increase. They’ll spread from places like Seattle and before you know it they’ll make their way to middle America.

There’s a price for every political philosophy. Where will the citizens of Seattle be in another generation if this represents the current philosophy driving their local governance?